A rooster insistently cock-a-doodle-doos in the background, as a calico cat named Fish patrols the grounds under a bright, warm evening sun.

It's a scene from a small farm that many people today don't get to see.

"We have lost connection with the local producer," says Gable, whose Glowing Orb Acres farm has been in operation for two years. "Farming is a magical thing."

Glowing Orb, which practices sustainable and organic farming on about 2 acres off Slifer Valley Road, is one of a small number of area farms offering people the chance to visit their farms and pick their own fruits and vegetables this summer.

Area farms such as Glowing Orb Acres offer visitors a pick-your-own experience

(DONNA FISHER / THE MORNING CALL)

So why pick your own? You can't get your vegetables and fruits any fresher, for one thing.

Coming to a farm like Gable's gives you a close-up look at varieties you might not have seen before. At Gable's farm, for example, I came across zephyr squash, a straight-neck summer squash that's yellow at the top and pale green at the bottom, almost looking like it had been dipped in green paint. Gable says it has a nutty flavor.

DONNA FISHER / THE MORNING CALL

Jacob Gable, head farmer at Glowing Orb Acres, inspects a green zebra tomato. Glowing Orb Acres in Riegelsville, Bucks County, is starting a new pick your own program where people can set up a tour then pick their own produce. Picture made on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. /////\\\\\ RIEGELSVILLE, BUCKS COUNTY DONNA FISHER/THE MORNING CALL Pic made TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Jacob Gable, head farmer at Glowing Orb Acres, inspects a green zebra tomato. Glowing Orb Acres in Riegelsville, Bucks County, is starting a new pick your own program where people can set up a tour then pick their own produce. Picture made on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. /////\\\\\ RIEGELSVILLE, BUCKS COUNTY DONNA FISHER/THE MORNING CALL Pic made TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015 (DONNA FISHER / THE MORNING CALL)

Much of what Gable grows are heirloom varieties, so you're bound to find something new to try.

"There are all different flavors you won't get in the supermarket," Gable says. "And you can eat it right out off the ground."

By late July and early August, he should have a bumper crop of tomatoes, big and small. (What's better than a fresh summer tomato?)

By visiting a farm like Gable's, you can also see the farming process up close. Glowing Orb practices organic farming so you don't have to worry about pesticides.

Gable will gladly show you around the farm as you pick your own and offer a little education and information on what you're taking home.

Picking your own produce is also a way to support community agriculture.